Friday, June 07, 2013

Meet My Bench Girls: Our Dream

This week I have introduced you to my bench girls. I have told you how we are saying yes to God and his dreams for us. Now I’m going to tell you how we are beginning to create a bench, a bench that might be just right for you. We want to make room for you and include you in this amazing adventure God is taking us on.

Jenny, Kelly, Amy and I all said yes to our homeschool co-op. We are building lifelong friendships with each other and the other girls in our group. Our children are growing up together. We are sharing this homeschool support bench together. This is not the only bench we are sharing.

Back in February Kelly said yes to God. She felt a deep need for friends. For close, real friends. She sent out a mass email asking if anyone would like to join her in reading Desperate by Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson. She opened her home for a book club. Five of us joined her. We said yes to her bench. We didn’t discuss the book as much as the ideas in the book. Reading the book together gave us an unspoken understanding with each other. Our friendships grew strong.

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:12

Amy said yes to (in)RL 2013. She opened her home as a host for this unique conference put on by (in)Courage. Kelly and I attended. We were encouraged to stay in community with each other. We opened our hearts to inviting more people to our bench.

But what was our bench? What were we doing as a group? When we finished Desperate we started reading You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream: Opening the Door to All God Has for You by Holley Gerth. All four of us started dreaming individually. We shared these dreams with each other. Then we started talking about dreams we didn’t speak of anywhere else. A satellite extension for a conference many of us were wishing to attend. A nationwide homeschool co-op. An opportunity to help others start a close knit co-op like we had started years ago. Then we started dreaming God’s dreams for us. He started connecting these dreams and showed us they can be a reality. A much needed real community. We are committed to each other.

We are each others bench girls.

We are committed to this dream God has given us. We are committed to creating a support system for homeschooling moms. Not for more curriculum ideas or tips on how to keep children’s attention. No, this is a bench where we can be real with thoughts and feelings. Where you will find a hand to hold that will help guide you back to Christ and his dreams for you and your family. A place where you can find rest and be recharged to continue on this journey. This journey where you have said yes to God and His dream for your family. We are committed to helping others develop groups to grow up together. We are committed to making room for you on our bench.

We are committed to you, the keystone of your family.

Andi and Brad have been married since 2002. They have five squishers who keep them on their toes. She is a second generation home educator. In her spare time Andi creates and sells handmade goodies in her shop, Andi Gould Designs.